Tony McFadden provides an overview of the key things to note on Thursday.
Murphy and Bowen bidding to enhance Market Rasen record
Olly Murphy has sent out more winners at Market Rasen than any other trainer since the start of the 2020/21 season, while Sean Bowen, unsurprisingly, has been the leading jockey at the course in that timeframe.
Murphy has had 53 winners - 13 more than Fergal O'Brien who is second on the list - and Bowen has had 50 winners, which places him 12 clear of Brian Hughes. The pair have teamed up for 19 of those victories - which have come at a strike rate of 25.68% - and they have four chances to add to that tally on Thursday.
One of their most interesting representatives is Kefir d'Oudairies in the extended two-and-a-half-mile national hunt maiden hurdle (12:40). Kefir d'Oudairies won a bumper at Fakenham last season, doing well to outpace a Flat-bred rival in a sprint finish, but was only fifth on his hurdling debut at Uttoxeter last month. However, Kefir d'Oudairies appeared to find the test too sharp at Uttoxeter and Timeform's reporter noted he "showed promise and is sure to do better when stamina is at more of a premium".
He has the Timeform 'small p' to show that he's likely to improve and the step up in trip at Market Rasen can help him unlock that improvement.
Tanking Along has clear claims on ratings
Tanking Along failed to convince in four starts over fences - twice he was given the 'x' in-running symbol to show he made mistakes - but he fared much better on his return to hurdling at Perth last month.
He had to settle for second on that occasion, but he went through the race like a well-handicapped horse and remains fairly treated off just a 2 lb higher mark in the conditional jockeys' handicap hurdle (12:50) at Sedgefield.
Tanking Along did as his name suggests at Perth and travelled best at the head of affairs, looking the likely winner when quickening clear two out, but he wandered around and, after losing momentum on the approach to the final flight, was headed on the run-in.
Timeform's reporter noted "there was an air of him giving away a clear winning chance" and that he was "essentially outbattled despite a brief rally", though, in his defence, he had set a strong gallop on testing ground.
He clearly comes with risks attached but a 2 lb rise in the weights could underestimate him based on how he shaped for much of his latest effort and he comes out 4 lb clear at the head of Timeform's weight-adjusted ratings here.
Aswellasabentley should relish step up in trip
Similar to Kefir d'Oudairies, Aswellasabentley appeals as one capable of leaving his previous form behind now faced with a stiffer test of stamina; in his case it is likely to be a much sterner examination in a 25-runner handicap hurdle (15:48) on very testing ground at the end of the Punchestown card.
Aswellasabentley made no impact in four starts for Liam Lennon but has offered encouragement on both starts for Gavin Cromwell, finishing fourth on his stable debut at Kilbeggan in April and filling the same position on his return at Downpatrick last month when Timeform's reporter noted he shaped as if he'd be better for the run.
Both of those starts came at around two and a quarter miles, but Aswellasabentley has plenty of stamina in his pedigree as he's out of a three-mile hurdle winner who is a half-sister to Long Walk Hurdle winner Sam Spinner. The step up to two and a half miles, under stamina-sapping conditions, should provide a more suitable test for Aswellasabentley who still has the Timeform 'small p' to show that better is expected.
It's still early days for him with this yard and he's in excellent hands to deliver on his promise as Cromwell finished third in the Irish trainers' championship last season, behind only Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliott.
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